KIRK DOOLEY'S BLOG Archives - Page 32 of 39

August 25, 2016August 25, 2016

HP vs Rockwall: Friday, 8/26 7:30pm Kickoff at Highlander Stadium

It’s like the Scots never left 6A.

With the Yellowjackets swarming in from the northeast Friday night, Highland Park opens the 2016 season with another tough 6A opponent. Seem like that’s all HP has played the past couple of years. Rockwall is picked to finished first in a district that includes perennially dangerous teams such as Longview, North Mesquite, Tyler John Tyler and Mesquite Horn. As a matter of fact, District 11-6A seems like the district the Scots just left – with HP being replaced by a couple of East Texas powerhouses.

The Scots’ 6A run wasn’t the end of the world like some fans had predicted. After a couple of years in District 10-6A, the Scots rolled up a 20-4 record, including winning the district championship last season with an undefeated district record. Although HP didn’t make it past the second round of the playoffs the past two years, winning 20 games in two years is impressive. Anytime. Anywhere.

Going into the 2016 season, the Scots have the most wins in the history of Texas high school football (787) … the most 10-win seasons (36) … the most district championships (48) … and the most playoff appearances (57). It’s a tradition that began more than 90 years ago and has blossomed under the leadership of Head Coach Randy Allen who, by the way, is now the fourth winningest coach in Texas high school football history.

So with the Scots now back in 5A, the biggest difference in football will be in the playoffs. But other sports at HP will compete better with schools that are closer to the same size. (Although Allen is triple the size of Highland Park, the Scots beat them in basketball.) The 5A competition should be just about as strong as 6A but the playoff runs should be a little longer.

The Highland Park coaches will tell you that it doesn’t matter to them who the Scots play. They’ll line up against anyone in 5A or 6A or the Big 12. While HP is not known for the quantity of Division I college players, the quality is there, starting with 1948 Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker, who legendary sportswriter Blackie Sherrod said was the best running back he had ever seen play football.

Recent NFL players from HP include Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions), Daniel Sepulveda (Pittsburgh Steelers), Kyle Williams (Seattle Seahawks), Dave Richards (San Diego Chargers) and Anthony Schlegel (New York Jets). But the most amazing story is how quarterback Bobby Layne and running back Doak Walker led the Scots to the state semifinals in the ‘40s, then reunited in the same backfield a decade later to lead the Detroit Lions to the NFL championship.

Doak’s son, Russ, started on the Scots’ 1977 state quarterfinalist team, and now Russ has a son who is playing on the Highland Park freshman team. So the grandson of the greatest football player in Highland Park history is carrying on a family tradition.

Oldtimers will get misty-eyed at hearing the freshman’s name.

Why?

Because Doak Walker is back at Highland Park.

November 18, 2015

HP vs Midway at AT&T: 2pm Kickoff Saturday, November 21st

Kirk Dooley’s Blog
“They are a handful.”
Those are the four words Highland Park head coach Randy Allen used to describe Saturday’s opponent, the Midway Panthers. What does he mean? Let’s elaborate:
For the first time the season the Scots will face a quarterback who has thrown for 2,000 yards. The Panthers also have a 1,000-yard runner, a 1,000-yard receiver and an offensive line that averages 236 lbs. per person. That’s why their offense is averaging 45 points per game and how they racked up 660 total yards last week against Garland.
If your high school football team is trying to stop them, they are a handful.
Midway has had a tough schedule and they lost their first three games to Lake Travis (48-24), Mansfield (45-44) and Mansfield Timberview (44-37). Since then they are 8-0 and have averaged 48 points per game. One poll has them ranked eighth in the state. This is a very good team.
The only apples-to-apples comparison between Highland Park and Midway is that the Panthers beat the Scots in this round last year. But we subscribe to the theory that last year is not this year.
The Scots have a 2,000-yard quarterback, a 1,000-yard rusher, an entire fleet of receivers who have 2,000 yards between them and an offensive line that has come together and helped lead this team to an 11-1 record. I would call that a handful also.
The plot thickens when we pull out the giant D and the picket fence.
I believe Highland Park’s defense is better than Midway’s. Back in the days when the Scots faced Pulaski, the defense was pulling people out of the stands to help with the depleted defensive line. But over time, with a couple of former linebackers thrown into the mix, the personnel has gotten healthy, experienced and proficient. The law firm of Snelling, Gahm, Neely, Coxe, Hrncir and Blanton has become an impressive defensive line. Linebackers Hayden Schnieders, John House, Bennett Brock and Josh Block are making big plays and occasional touchdowns. And I feel comfortable with Joseph Sweeney taking on the best Midway receiver and letting Turner Rejebian, Matthew Barge, Andrew Petrucelli and George Stewart defend the rest of the passing lanes above the secondary. They don’t need to stop the Panthers, just slow them down. My scratchpad reveals that the Scots will win the game if the Midway offense scores less than 35 points.
Six teams have scored 34 points or more against the Panthers this season. Highland Park has the guns to be the seventh. One of those guns will be something we haven’t seen yet this season. Midway will be surprised.

November 4, 2015November 4, 2015

HP at Richardson Friday, November 6th- Kickoff at 7:30pm

Kirk Dooley’s Blog

Friday night’s regular-season-ending contest between the Highland Park Scots and the Richardson Eagles will be the classic tale of two teams coming in from opposite ends of the spectrum. The Scots are 8-1 and the Eagles are 1-8. Regardless of who wins this match, it will be Richardson’s final game of the year while HP has already scheduled Irving Nimitz for a bi-district game next weekend at Highlander Stadium.

It will be the Eagles’ final home game so they’ll play with pride but they won’t play with the passion of a playoff hopeful. The Scots will go full-throttle because they want to win the outright district championship. If they lose against Richardson, they would tie with North Mesquite for the title but it wouldn’t change their playoff seeding. The sting of losing the district championship last year to Horn still motivates the seniors on this year’s team to bring home the trophy without another name on it.

Like Mesquite, Berkner and Pearce, the Richardson Eagles have talent. None of these teams made the playoffs but I think they (especially the Skeeters) could beat up on some playoff teams from other districts.

The Eagles are led by one of the best wide receivers in the state, Kahlil Lacy, who has caught 35 passes for 693 yards and seven touchdowns. The highly-recruited Eagle is projected to be a solid major college receiver.

Richardson quarterback Michael Johnson has completed 139 of 241 passes for 1,743 yards and 14 touchdowns. HP’s QB Henry Allen, by comparison, has completed 138 of 230 passes for 1,697 yards and 14 TDs.

The Scots are averaging 365 yards per game but are allowing 379. That’s an odd statistic for an 8-1 team. The Eagles are averaging 333 yards per game and are allowing 471, which is appropriate for a 1-8 team.

Unlike their games against Mesquite and Berkner, the Scots hope to strike quickly against Richardson, build up a comfortable lead and then allow their back-ups to get some experience in the second half. The Eagles, if they saw film from the HP-Berkner game, witnessed how the Rams defense held the Scots to 52 yards of total offense in the first half. Although HP came back in the second half with 246 yards, video doesn’t lie. Playoff opponents will be clamoring to study the first half of that Berkner film.

The Scots are relatively healthy, rested and have playoff experience. They know they can’t look past Richardson to focus on Nimitz yet. And beyond the Vikings, who lurks in the playoff shadows down the road?

It’s too early to think about it, but a challenger from Waco lies Midway to the regional finals.